Friday, October 31, 2008

The McPalin Small Business Plan

Once again, I'm not endorsing candidates and am not making this a political blog. However, if you wake up Wednesday morning to find that John McCain and Sarah Palin are the new president and vice president of the United States, here's what you can expect for small businesses as reported on JohnMcCain.com:


Lower Energy Costs

John McCain's Lexington Project will address the rising costs of energy that are hurting small businesses. He strongly supports increased domestic exploration of oil and natural gas. This will send a strong signal to oil markets that future supplies will be more plentiful, countering the rise in oil prices. The market for natural gas is less internationally integrated than that of oil - increased domestic production will lower the cost of this key energy source.

The Project will transform electricity generation. John McCain has set the goal of building 45 new nuclear power plants by 2030 - creating 700,000 jobs and providing cheap electricity. It will provide incentives for the production of electricity from renewable sources. Finally, the Lexington Project will devote $2 billion annually to research that will allow the clean use of our most plentiful and low-cost energy source: coal.

Controlling Health Care Costs

John McCain has a comprehensive health care reform plan that will reduce the spiraling cost of health care - a major burden for those small businesses that offer health insurance and a major impediment for those who cannot. He will provide $5,000 for health insurance to every American family - supporting small businesses that seek to offer insurance. John McCain opposes costly mandates or "pay or play" requirements that would raise the financial burden on small business, cut the ability to hire, expand, or raise payrolls.

Taxes: Simpler, Fair, Pro-Growth, And Competitive

Keep Tax Rates Low: Entrepreneurs are at the heart of American innovation, growth and prosperity. Entrepreneurs create the ultimate job security - a new, better opportunity if your current job goes away. Entrepreneurs should not be taxed into submission. John McCain will keep the top tax rate at 35 percent, maintain the 15 percent rates on dividends and capital gains, and phase-out the Alternative Minimum Tax. Small businesses are the heart of job growth; raising taxes on them hurts every worker.

Cut The Corporate Tax Rate From 35 To 25 Percent: A lower corporate tax rate is essential to keeping good jobs in the United States. America was once a low-tax business environment, but as our trade partners lowered their rates, America failed to keep pace. American workers deserve the chance to make fine products here and sell them around the globe.

Allow First-Year Deduction, Or "Expensing", Of Equipment And Technology Investments: American workers need the finest technologies to compete. Expensing of equipment and technology will provide an immediate boost to capital expenditures and reward investments in cutting-edge technologies.

Establish A Permanent Tax Credit Equal To 10 Percent Of Wages Spent On R&D: This reform will greatly simplify the tax code, reward activity in the United States, and make us more competitive with other countries. A permanent credit will provide an incentive to innovate and remove uncertainty. At a time when our companies need to be more competitive, we need to provide a permanent incentive to innovate, and remove the uncertainty now hanging over businesses as they make R&D investment decisions.

Allow Families To Keep Their Businesses: John McCain proposes reducing the Estate Tax rate to 15 percent and permit a generous $10 million exemption.

Opening New Markets

John McCain believes that globalization is an opportunity for American workers today and in the future. Ninety-five percent of the world's customers lie outside our borders and we need to be at the table when the rules for access to those markets are written. To do so, the U.S. should engage in multilateral, regional and bilateral efforts to reduce barriers to trade, level the global playing field and build effective enforcement of global trading rules.


For more details, visit:
www.johnmccain.com/Issues/JobsforAmerica/smallbusiness.htm

Thursday, October 30, 2008

10 Ways To Be Like Einstein

Albert Einstein was a gifted physicist and mathematician who was well known and respected for his intellect and his discoveries. Although he was not necessarily a businessman, his way of thinking can be applied to business.

In a recent article in Entrepreneur Magazine, writer Mike Werling cleverly highlighted 10 traits that entrepreneurs and Einstein should share. Here are the first 5:

1. Imagination. Einstein said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge." The fellas over at Google had all the computer skills and knowledge they needed to have successful careers in some firm's IT department--along with tens of thousands of other techies. What makes Larry Page and Sergey Brin household names is the fact they imagined there was a better way to search the web, and then they created it.

2. Always questioning. "The important thing is not to stop questioning." One of the most important questions an entrepreneur can ask is How can I make it better? Whether you offer a product or a service, improving it is the only way to attract new clients and retain existing ones. While Phil Knight was marketing Nike to the top of the athletic-shoe sales heap, Bill Bowerman tinkered with the shoes' designs and made sure Nike footwear was on the cutting edge of innovation. How can the new model, Bowerman wondered, be better? If Einstein had stopped questioning, we would have been left with his thoughts on relativity instead of an entire theory.

3. Old problems, new ways of thinking. "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." In the 1940s and '50s, book publishers printed paperback books based solely on hardback titles that had lost momentum; Ian Ballantine created Bantam Books Inc. to do just that. He soon realized he was limiting his profit potential by sticking to the old way of thinking. He decided--much to other publishers' and bookstores' chagrin--to produce original paperback titles for mass-market sales. Sixty years later, both models still exist. And Ballantine likely would have jumped at the chance to offer books electronically.

4. Intuition. "The only real valuable thing is intuition." Einstein worked in theoretical physics; he had to trust his intuition to move forward on anything. Entrepreneurs do the same thing every day. Intuition told Richard Branson the Sex Pistols were worth signing to a fledgling Virgin Records. Intuition told Hugh Hefner men would pay for a magazine filled with high-quality articles and fiction writing that was interspersed with photos of nude women. (Or was it the other way around?) Trusting one's gut led to many of the 20th century's greatest advances.

5. Strong positive attitude. "Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character." In the early 20th century, greeting cards were given for Christmas and Valentine's Day. In 1915, a few weeks before Cupid's favorite holiday, a warehouse fire destroyed J.C. and Rollie Hall's entire inventory of Valentine's Day cards and left them $17,000 in debt. They borrowed money, purchased an engraving firm, designed two new cards and printed them in time for Christmas. Nearly a century and countless new ideas later, Hallmark Cards sets the industry standard.

To view the full article for the other five traits, visit:
www.entrepreneur.com/greatminds/article197836/index.html

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

How Do People See You?

People should see you as a helpful resource, not an aggressive salesman. Instead of being a walking billboard, you should be a walking encyclopedia.

Once you figure this concept out, you will see your sales skyrocket because consumers are motivated to buy from people who know (or seem to know) what they are talking about.

For instance, if you are selling insurance, you should be writing weekly columns and blogs to educate people about financial literacy, wealth, and other related issues.

You should regularly have free seminars for people to attend, and/or free teleseminars for people to call in to.

You should be sitting on a Board of Advisors that is related to your industry, you should be producing free audio/video content on BlogTalkRadio or YouTube, and you should offer some type of free consultation.

Most importantly, you should be the author of at least one book that's related to your expertise. And, you should be writing e-books and giving them away for free.

If people see you as an informational asset, and not just a pushy salesman, they will buy into everything that you're selling. Even more, they'll refer you to all their friends and family members.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Best Airline and Hotel: My Top Picks For Late 2008

Business travel nowadays can be very stressful, and very expensive. I'm not sure how 2009 will be, but here is my opinion of the best airline and hotel to use when traveling for the rest of 2008:

Southwest Airlines

In most cases, they will have the lowest prices for airfare. They do not penalize you for changing your ticket like all other airlines do. This way if your business plans change, as they often do, you can stay another day without paying an extra $100 fee.

Southwest also won't charge you extra fees to check boxes or bags, and they don't charge you extra to sit in a comfortable seat - like the aisle seat or in an emergency exit row.

Even more valuable is the fact that Southwest does not charge you a fee to utilize your Rapid Rewards points. Almost all other airlines charge you $50-$75 to use your frequent flyer points.

The bad thing about Southwest is that they don't fly to Atlanta or New York - two very common destinations for business travelers. Also, you have to remember to go to Southwest.com to see their fares. You won't find them on Expedia or Orbitz.

Hyatt Hotels

Hyatt is running a "Stay Two Nights, Get One Night Free" special until the end of the year. All you have to do is join their Gold Passport program, and you can participate.

While the requirement of logging two stays before earning the free night may seem like a high hurdle to infrequent travelers, it's a goal that can sometimes be achieved even on a single trip to a single city.

Your free nights can be redeemed at Hyatt hotels in 45 countries. So you can use the free nights for more business travel, or for that vacation you've been wanting to take. I personally have already earned 4 free nights.

The bad thing is that you have to use up your free nights by February 28, 2009. That's a very narrow window of opportunity, but still worth it.

To sign up free for the program, visit:
www.hyatt.com/hyatt/profile/registration/index.jsp

Friday, October 24, 2008

"Support Me, Support Me"

Is your idea of marketing your business to contact your friends and relatives and pressure them out of guilt to support you?

Sadly, this practice is very common. Entrepreneurs and network marketers don't realize that by doing this, they end up annoying people and making it even less likely for them to respond favorably.

The truth is, your products and services should sell themselves. Potential customers (including family and friends) should be naturally inclined to want to do business with you. If you have resorted to pressuring people out of guilt to buy whatever you're selling, you're probably in the wrong business.

Find or create a business opportunity that is selling something that people can't resist; something that they really want or really need - or both. You should only be selling products and service that people will buy into without you pleading and begging that they do so.

In addition, develop creative marketing and PR campaigns. Find a book on how to make the most of a shoe string advertising budget. Learn about the wonderful benefits of grassroots marketing and guerilla marketing. Experiment with social media tools such as Facebook, online radio services such as BlogTalkRadio, and even video outlets such as YouTube to help promote your business.

Whatever you do, come up with something better than "I need your support...If you care about me, you will buy something."

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Obama's Small Business Rescue Plan

I'm completely neutral to politics, and certainly don't want to turn this into a political blog. However, I thought it was very necessary to report on the proposed small business rescue plan that may affect you if Barack Obama is elected into the white house.

The Washington Post reports:

Barack Obama has proposed a plan of tax cuts and loans for small businesses hurt by the current credit crisis, a temporary program he said is needed to help Main Street and complement what has already been done for Wall Street.

He said the $5 billion Small Business Rescue Plan would be similar to one implemented after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and would be run through the Small Business Administration.

He told a courthouse crowd that the program would be a way of "extending our hand to the shops and restaurants, the start-ups and small firms that create jobs and make our economy grow. Main Street needs relief and you need it now."

He said the plan would make it easier for private lenders to make small business loans by expanding the SBA's loan guarantee program and eliminating fees for borrowers and lenders.

Obama has previously called for eliminating capital gains taxes on investments in small businesses and start-ups and today proposed an additional temporary business tax incentive through next year to encourage new investments.


For the full article, visit:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/10/10/obama_proposes_small_business.html?hpid=topnews

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Black Business Women Vs. Black Business Women

I find it very interesting and disturbing that African American women are starting successful small businesses at a faster rate than most other demographics, but have the least amount of representation in corporate boardrooms.

Author and radio show host Wendy Johnson's comments, "Have you ever seen a biography or a feature article about a black woman who leads a major corporation? My guess is that you probably haven't, because besides Oprah, who created her own dynasty, do any come readily to mind? Despite the progress of the last 50 years, capable black women continue to be hampered in their career paths."

Johnson's new book, Missing in Action: Black Women in the Boardroom (endorsed by Dr. Cornel West), examines the historical and other influences that have hindered the advancement of black women. The perceptions of a broad cross section of professionals in a variety of organizational settings are examined, and from research and personal experience, Johnson analyzes the factors that continue to prevent black women from rising to the top. The book also offers practical advice to black women who want to break the glass ceiling.

To learn more about Johnson or to purchase her book online, visit www.askdr-wendy.com

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Overcome The Four Barriers of Change

There may be several things that are holding you back from reaching your business goals. More than likely, change is one of them. According to a recent article by John Baker in New Visions Magazine (www.nvmagazine.com), change is the miracle that stimulates growth. Without it, your business does not grow.

The article outlined the following four barriers to change:

1) fear
2) the "what if" game
3) labels and titles (EX: losing your VP title in Corporate America)
4) lack of focus

Fear is undoubtedly the most popular one, although it shouldn't be. If you want to truly call yourself an entrepreneur, you must be able and willing to take risks. Risktakers are not afraid of failure. In fact, they expect it to happen from time to time. This, however, is a good thing.

Think of a baby who is learning to walk. Doing so is risky because they may fall and hurt themselves - and many times they do. However, this doesn't stop them from pursuing the course. That's because babies instinctively realize that its time for change; It's time to stop crawling and start walking. It's time for growth.

Likewise, it's time for a change in you. Whether you're just starting out in business, or have been a business owner for years - It's time to turn things up a notch.

Take some new steps. You will fall, but you will learn from that fall and you will be humbled. After a few falls, you will learn how to take the right steps with the right balance. Then, the growth factor will kick in and escalate you to the next level.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Make Plans To Attend The Black Millionaires Summit

I won't be able to make the event due to schedule conflicts, but I highly recommend that you make plans to attend. The first annual Black Millionaires Summit is the nation's premier business and wealth building conference for African Americans.


It will be held in Dallas, Texas on the weekend of November 7-9, 2008. Co-founders WNBA Champion, Fran Harris, Ph.D. and bestselling author, Myron Golden conceived the idea after brainstorming about the kind of legacies they wanted to leave their families.

Megapreneur and philanthropist, Russell Simmons is among the millionaire entrepreneurs who will speak. Simmons sold his company Phat Farm for $140 million a few years ago and recently worked with Harris on a fundraiser for his charities. In addition to Simmons, the Summit's All-Star speaker lineup includes Internet marketing expert, Stephen Pierce, network marketing titan Jerry Clark, financial whiz Cheryl Broussard, and short sale real estate pro, Wahid Shakur.

The Black Millionaires Summit targets new and veteran entrepreneurs across all industries, as well as anyone who's interested in learning next-level business, success and wealth strategies. Harris urges people not to fall prey to the negativity in the press.

"If you listen to the media, they'll have you believing that the economy's bad. We disagree. This is the perfect time to make bold moves as an entrepreneur," said Harris, who recently started two more companies with billion-dollar potential. "This is not the time to give in to fear. On one magical weekend -- for the price of a monthly cable bill -- attendees will have an experience that will not only transform their lives but also their bank accounts."

The early bird, basic admission pass for the three-day conference is only $97. For more details and/or to register, click here...

Friday, October 17, 2008

The Power of Three

Several people have emailed me asking why I don't blog very much about my company's services. The answer is that I try my best not to inundate people with my own sales pitches.

However, its true that sometimes its okay to be very direct about what it is you have to offer. So here's my sales pitch: It's called The Power of Three.

Every entrepreneur should be an author. Every author should be an entrepreneur. And every author and entrepreneur should be a public speaker. Doing so will help you maximize your revenue streams, especially in a time of economic difficulties.

In 2001, I launched Diversity City Media, a multicultural marketing and PR firm. My goals were to help entrepreneurs get publicity for their companies, help authors sell more books, and help public speakers get more speaking engagements. 8 years later, I have helped more than 1,000 clients reach these exact goals.

Just to name a few: My clients include Tavis Smiley, Farrah Gray, Laila Ali, JL King, Magic Johnson, Ella Joyce, Sheila Johnson, Ken Griffey, Sr. and many others.

Here are just three of the services we offer:

1) BlackPR.com - This service is an extensive press release distribution to all the Black newspapers, magazines, TV and radio stations. For only $150, we can distribute your press release to over 850 news outlets and 40,000 journalists and bloggers. For $50 more, we can feature your press release as an article on BlackNews.com - another site we own.

2) BlackExperts.com - This service is an online directory that allows African American experts to profile themselves in front of journalists who are looking for people to interview on their radio and TV shows.

3) BlackSpeakers.com - Similar to BlackExperts.com, this is an online directory that allows African American speakers to profile themselves in front of meeting planners who are looking to hire people to speak at their events. The cost to be listed is $250 a year for both sites.

If you have any questions about any of the services, visit the links above or call my office at (866) 910-6277.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Why Long-Form Sales Letters Work

Have you ever gone to a web site and realized that its nothing more than a one page sales letter? You scroll down only to see about 50 paragraphs full of rhetorical questions, descriptions, testimonials, subheaders, and postscripts. You may ask yourself - "Why in the world would someone develop their web page like this?"

Joel Comm, an online marketing expert, recently wrote the following article about Internet sales letters in the October 2008 issue of Feed Front Magazine:

For years now, the standard sales tool for Internet marketers has been the long-form sales letter. These can go on for thousands of words, offer testimonial after testimonial, sub-heading after sub-heading and postscript after postscript.

They’re enormous, often repetitive and it’s unlikely that anybody has ever read one all the way through to the end. So why do marketers still use them? The answer is simple: they work.

In one test conducted by the Marketing Experiments Journal in 2004, longform sales letters consistently outperformed short copy, sometimes by as much as 400 percent. In my own experience, I’ve seen upsells and one-time offers produce conversion rates as high as 70 percent.

That doesn’t happen often – but I’ve never had it happen with any other sales technique. The reason they work is that a well-written, long-form sales letter will do two things.

First, it will push every sales point and answer every objection from every member of the audience. That’s something that’s always going to take up a great deal of space. But it’s also why marketers don’t expect the audience to read all of the copy.

The sub-headings are meant to provide easy entry and exit points for readers. Different readers will have different objections and they’ll be persuaded to buy because of different benefits. As readers scan a sales letter, the format of the page will naturally help them to notice the points and arguments that are most likely to persuade them.

Of course, they’ll also miss a lot but that’s important too. The Internet is the ultimate comparison shopping tool. More information about a product and more products that do the same thing are never more than a click or two away.

By providing readers with an overdose of information, marketers keep truly interested buyers on the page. If they can’t even finish reading the information in front of them, they’re less likely to feel a need to look for more information elsewhere.

It’s why a common reaction to a long-form sales letter is “Okay, I get it. How much is it already?” When you can make a lead ask that question, you really should be able to turn them into a buyer.

Long-form sales letters need top quality copy. They need careful testing and tweaking. But when the information and the words are right, they’re also surprisingly effective.


To subscribe FREE to Feed Front Magazine, visit:
www.feedfront.com

Negotiate a Win-Win

I was skimming through some Donald Trump blog archives, and found this interesting one about negotiation. He writes:

My most successful negotiations have come from bridging the gap of misinformation and miscommunication between buyer and seller. Once I can get to the truth about what the parties are truly motivated by, I can then structure a deal that makes everyone happy. It’s a universal principle that holds true in business, marriage, friendships etc.

If as a businessperson, we would shut our collective mouths for a moment and listen to the other side’s position, we will gain the understanding of what they are thinking and needing to be able to accept our proposal /offer (or whatever). We can then incorporate and address those needs in our offer and thereby eliminate any objections they are having.

The hard part about invoking this strategy is that you have to know what questions to ask and be able to give the other party a comfortable way to express their side openly and honestly. This only works if you truly DO CARE about creating the WIN-WIN. The moment the other party suspects you are using their information to manipulate them, prepare for the negotiations to go cold.

Author Stephen Covey cites this principle as one of the 7 Habits of Highly Successful People - "Seek first to understand and then be understood." Try applying this to all of your relational dealings and see how much more effective you are at getting what you want in life.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Economic Forecast From One Black Entrepreneur

For over 2 years, Bro. Bedford, founder of HowToBeABlackEntrepreneur.com and author of Conversations With Black Millionaire Entrepreneurs has been warning of an impending financial collapse of the U.S. Economy.

With the collapse of the real estate market, the vanishing of some of the largest banks and businesses in the history of the United States, bailouts totaling over $1 trillion, the unemployment rate rising, as well as the price of food and gas being at record highs it is clear that his words were not empty.

When asked if this is the end of the economic slump, Bedford says, "The opposite is true, this is just the beginning of a long and painful transition from an economy that was once dominated by America to a global economy that is dominated by billions of people."

When asked, what he thought Black people should do to navigate this terrible economic environment. He comments, "We must become more entrepreneurial, and I'm not talking about implementing the business models that we see failing. I'm talking about learning how to market products or services directly to customers worldwide, affiliating yourself with similar entrepreneurs and doing joint ventures to cross sell and market products. These models are what is working and will continue to work in the future."

"From an investment standpoint I suggest buying silver and gold," he adds. Bedford has a Free Report discussing the fall of the U.S. Dollar and Black people being prepared located online at www.fallofthedollar.com

To gain immediate access to an audio-MP3 and PDF transcript of the training of How To Buy Silver & Gold: To Protect Your Wealth and Savings, visit: www.howtobuysilverandgold.com

Monday, October 13, 2008

2008 Booker T. Washington Economic Development Summit



Booker T. Washington, (first President) of Tuskegee Institute (University) was a staunch supporter of entrepreneurship and other economic growth among African-Americans. He was founder of the National Negro Business League in 1900 after seeing a need for African-Americans to build an economic network and allow that to be a catalyst for change and social improvement.

Today, the Summit, adheres to the historical and philosophical perspectives of Washington and focuses on entrepreneurship and business development as a means for African-Americans and other people of color to obtain economic and political parity. It targets individuals, organizations and institutions for empowerment through knowledge acquisition and networking for entrepreneurship as key ingredients to a whole-community approach to economic development.

The 13th annual summit will take place November 19-21, 2008 in Tuskegee, Alabama. Speakers include Dr. Farrah Gray, Dr. Randal Pinkett, Dante Lee, and others.

Who should attend?

* Collegiate entrepreneurs and advisors
* Community development corporations
* Small business owners
* High school students and advisers
* Youth services agencies
* Youth development personnel
* Entrepreneur training developers

For more information and/or to register, visit:
www.tuskegee.edu/btwsummit

Sunday, October 12, 2008

How To Get A Standing Ovation

Guy Kawasaki of Entrepreneur Magazine recently outlined several points on how to put on a successful speech, and get a standing ovation. Here are just a few:

1. Have something interesting to say. This is 80 percent of the battle. If you have nothing to say, you shouldn't speak--end of discussion. It's better to decline the opportunity so no one knows you don't have anything to say than it is to make the speech and prove it.

2. Cut the sales pitch. The purpose of most keynotes is to entertain and inform. It's seldom to provide you with an opportunity to pitch. For example, if you're invited to speak about the future of digital music, don't talk about the latest MP3 player your company is selling.

3. Focus on entertaining. Many speech coaches will disagree, but the goal of a speech is to entertain the audience. If people are entertained, you can slip in a few nuggets of information. But if your speech is dull, no amount of information will make it great. If I had to pick between entertaining and informing an audience, I would pick entertaining, knowing that informing will probably happen, too.

4. Understand the audience. If you can prove to your audience in the first five minutes that you understand who they are, you've got them for the rest of the speech. All you need to understand are the trends, competition and key issues facing the audience members. This simply requires consultation with the host organization and a willingness to customize your introductory remarks.

5. Tell stories. The best way to relax when giving a speech is to tell stories--any stories: stories about your youth, stories about your customers, etc. When you tell a story, you lose yourself in the storytelling. You're not "making a speech" anymore. You're simply having a conversation. Good speakers are good storytellers; great speakers tell stories that support their message.

6. Precirculate with the audience. Here's how to heighten the audience's connection with you: Talk to them before the speech--especially the ones in the first rows. Then, when you're at the podium, you'll see these friendly faces. Your confidence will soar, you'll relax and you'll be great.

7. Practice, and speak all the time. This is a "duh-ism" but nonetheless relevant. My theory is that you have to give a speech at least 20 times to get decent at it. You can give it 19 times to your dog if you like, but it takes practice and repetition. There's no shortcut to Carnegie Hall. As renowned violinist Jascha Heifetz once said, "If I don't practice for one day, I know it. If I don't practice for two days, the critics know it. If I don't practice for three days, the audience knows it."

For the full article, visit:
www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2008/october/197100.html

Thursday, October 9, 2008

The Business Plan is Dead?

Raising capital is a competitive situation in any arena, couple that with a new economy that operates at light speed and technology that can make an idea obsolete, the days of the 80-page business plans are over.

Based on his experience raising millions of dollars for various business ventures, African American venture capitalist Jeff Wofford offers his invaluable knowledge for "fund" raising in the new book, The Business Plan Is Dead: How to Raise Capital in the New Economy.

He skillfully guides experienced entrepreneurs who want to start a business or those that need more capital on what's important to focus on within their business plan.

He comments, "Raising capital is a competitive proposition. Your new economy business plan will help build a concise compelling story. Traditional business plans are long-winded, no longer used and frankly irrelevant for raising startup capital."

The book is available at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com

Monday, October 6, 2008

Be Prepared For A Down Economy

Its interesting to note that while Washington Mutual is going through bank failure, JP Morgan & Chase is acquiring them. Likewise, Wachovia Bank is going under, but Wells Fargo and Citibank are making bids to buy them out.

In a failing economy, how is that one bank is going out of business, but another is doing so well that they can purchase the other for billions of dollars?

The answer is simple. The ones going out of business were not prepared for the economy crisis.

What about you? Is your company prepared for a down economy? Do you have a worst case scenario plan ready? Do you have money tucked away for not just rainy, but stormy days?

Here are some tips from eHow.com:

1) Think about how you can recession-proof your business. Determine how you can keep it running with some type of service work, or sell a product that customers will purchase no matter how difficult the economy.

2) Consider how you will recession-proof your finances. Find a way to put money into an emergency fund every month and try to save six months worth of living expenses.

3) Set a budget and monitor your spending on a daily basis to prepare for a down economy. Write down every expense you have or you anticipate so there is nothing that will keep you from staying on budget.

4) Control your income by saving for large long-term bills. Put a specified amount away every month to pay the semi-annual and annual bills such as insurance; you usually receive a discount for paying in full instead of paying monthly.

5) Diversify your investments with stocks and bonds. Consider moving a large amount of your stock money into bonds during a threat of a down economy, because bonds usually go up when interest rates go down.

6) Make a change of industry. Check out professional contacts, have your resume up to date and keep your eyes open for new opportunities.

7) Prepare emotionally for a down economy so you don't panic if it happens.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Internet Guerilla Marketing 101

Guerilla marketing consists of a series of highly aggressive marketing practices using unconventional methods. It works wonders for those who have very little time and money to invest in their marketing agendas.

Jay Conrad Levinson, the father of guerrilla marketing, has authored several books on the subject - showing people how to survive the advertising jungle on a shoestring budget.

Recently, Levinson and online marketing masters Mitch Meyerson and Mary Eule Scarborough have released their newest book entitled Guerilla Marketing on the Internet that shows you how to successfully enhance your initiatives on the web.

The book reveals:

* The 10 most effective Guerrilla strategies
* Case studies of the five greatest online Guerrilla Marketing campaigns
* How to create a high-impact website on a budget
* Low-cost tactics for maximizing traffic
* The 12 biggest internet marketing mistakes and how to avoid them
* Creative tactics and cutting-edge tools that inspire customers to take action
* Essential information on cutting-edge technology

I highly recommend getting this book!

Thursday, October 2, 2008

The First Social Network For Black CEOs

My company, Lee Moss Media, has recently launched BlackCEOs.com - the first ever social network and online community for African American business owners. Free to join, users can create their profiles and interact with other users. They can also read and post news, blogs, events, and more.

Members vary from local business owners to nationally-recognized CEOs. The objective, is not necessarily to get them to do business with each other, but to share resources and tips, and dialogue about potential ways to work together as partners.

Many of you who are members of LinkedIn.com or Plaxo.com will find this to be a similar resource, just more targeted to African Americans. I highly recommend you join if you're interested in surrounding yourself with other like-minded individuals like yourself. Again, it's 100% free.

To join the site, visit:
www.BlackCEOs.com

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Nominations Needed For "Influential Black Women in Business Awards"

The Network Journal is currently seeking nominations for its 11th Annual 25 Influential Black Women in Business Awards. The selected group of honorees will be recognized for their contribution to the community and the success they have achieved in their businesses and professional careers. The awards are open to women who are business owners, or senior executives in the public, private, or non-profit sectors.

The Network Journal seeks applicants with a proven track record, as well as exceptional individuals who are up and coming in their field. The ideal candidate will be an accomplished professional with a commitment to excellence and their community. Women may be self-nominated or nominated by a third party.

Women may be self-nominated or nominated by a third party. The nomination packet must include a cover page, a current biographical profile, resume, two letters of recommendation, and optional supporting documentation of the nominee's professional commitment and community involvement. The cover page must include the nominee's name, address, telephone, cell and fax numbers, email address, place of employment, length of employment, and current title. It should also include the nominator's name, address, telephone, cell and fax numbers, email address, place of employment and current title if the applicant is not being self-nominated. DEADLINE FOR ENTRY IS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2008.

Please submit the completed packet to:

The Network Journal
25 Influential Black Women in Business Review Board
39 Broadway, Suite 2120
New York, NY 10006
OR
Denise@tnj.com

Upon acceptance, award recipients will be required to provide between five to ten photographs including a high-quality professional headshot. Honorees will also be required to submit other pertinent documentation. Failure to do so in a timely manner will result in immediate disqualification. Please be advised that photographs, age, birth date, title, and company of award recipients will be used on promotional items for the awards program including the March 2009 edition of the magazine.

For more information call 212-962-3791, or visit www.tnj.com/events/25women_form.php


The Network Journal is a monthly business magazine with more than 86,000 readers. The publication is distributed nationwide with a focus on the Tri-state area (NY/NJ/CT) and features business articles of interest such as finance, technology, industry focus and ideas for Black professionals and small business owners. More information can be located at the publication's web site www.tnj.com